APT - Master Bedroom — APT La Fayette

Our next tour in APT La Fayette is the master bedroom…in the “in-between.”

The bedroom isn’t done, it’s a work in progress, as they say. There sits really only an old antique bed and coiffeuse, both bought from previous owners off Le Bon Coin. It’s sparse, but I knew it might be this way for a long while when I decided to create this home and thought I would see if I could bring only objects I love into the space. I wanted to be intentional about what I surrounded myself with in the every day and wanted to choose things that resonated with me, inspired me, made me smile when I pass it on my way to the kitchen. So I chose only things with a beauty that was meaningful to me. This means that, instead of just filling a space with something “good enough,” I wait…and wait….and wait until cross something that does feel just right.

I won’t lie, it’s not always a practical or convenient decision – I still don’t have bedside tables, instead I temporarily use an old wooden folding chair I found, which I do love. But I’m also enjoying the byproduct of this idea: being ok with allowing things to feel unresolved, making the unfinished quality beautiful in its own way, and learning to be at ease in the “in between.”

When designing any space, I begin with the intention. I ask myself how I intend to use the space and how I want to feel in it, then the design is simply there to facilitate.

The master bedroom needed to feel incredibly comfortable – for evenings with a glass of wine and a book, for sleeping in while wrapped up in a cloud of blankets. I needed it to feel bright and cheerful for morning cups of coffee in bed, and calming for moments of quiet contemplation. I considered that I feel most comfortable in open spaces with lots of light so my first decision was to replace the small single doorway to the room and replace it with the oversized French doors that formerly stood between the living and dining room. Seeing as I was removing that wall, it was the perfect opportunity to repurpose those original doors and create open and aesthetic sight lines into the room, allow light to filter easily through the apartment, and create a spacious feeling throughout.

Original single doorway looking into bedroom

Original single doorway from inside the bedroom

Creating a double door, purposing doors originally between the living and dining room

Creating a new door frame. On the ceiling you can see where the wall and door used to be.

The repurposed doors added.

The final doors from inside the bedroom looking out.

To create a brighter room, I removed the dark rose wallpaper and used a neutral white so that morning light could reflect and bounce, making the room more luminous. The previous owner used a lot of heavy furnishings, so I opted for lighter pieces with curves and more delicate details without being overly ornate, like the slender legs on the simple coiffeuse.

The small window space was also used to create a small garden, knowing that, being from Vancouver, greenery is so important to me feeling at home.

Not much else major was done to the room. The fireplace was cleaned and is now ready for cozy winter nights, and I emptied my toiletries into neutral brown glass bottles.

*Side note: when I consider a space, I like to have the things I use daily in an intuitive place that is easily accessible. Though, I don’t find the bright packaging of products (made specifically to draw my attention in a store) to be peaceful, so I get inexpensive bottles and fill those with my toiletry “staples.”

Before - facing North

After - facing North

Before - facing East

After - facing East

Before - facing NW

After - facing NW

In the end, I knew I wanted my bed to be the focus – comfort and joy being the priority in this space. So apart from choosing the most impossibly comfortable bedding and pillows – not to mention testing the limits on how many pillows one person can have until it’s “too much” – I also chose my bed to inspire.

I looked through sites like Le Bon Coin, looking for an old antique bed and when I saw these photos, picking out in them the elegant shape, the daisy and rose details, I knew it was mine. And, really, in the bedroom, a bed is all you’d need…I’m lucky to have found a bedroom I love.